ANTH 221 STUDENT DEBATE TOPICS

I. THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM KOUROS: Is it an ancient Greek original sculpture, or a modern fake?

CONNOISSEURSHIP/ART HISTORY: Define what an Archaic Greek statue should look like in art historical terms. What is the range of variability in extant examples of such statues? What were the ancient carving techniques, and what traces would they leave? What are the hallmarks of forged carving?

SOURCING OF MARBLE: What is marble, and how do you characterize it? What are some pros and cons of the techniques used to source marble? Can you distinguish between ancient and modern quarries?

SURFACE WEATHERING: How was the surface crust formed? What are the techniques used to analyze it? How do you distinguish between "natural" weathering, and a faked patina?

PROVENANCE: What is the evidence for the Shroud's provenance (what is the history of cloth, and how far back can you trace its travels?). Does the Shroud fit with Jewish burial customs (why or why not?)

CHRONOLOGY: What is the age of the cloth, and what are the methods for determining age? Could fire affect the C-14 date? Does the age of the cloth equal the age of the image?

IMAGE FORMATION: How was the image formed? What analytical methods have been used, and what are the limitations of those methods used? Could both blood and pigment have been used (why or why not)?

  III. THE FIRST AMERICANS

Who were they, how did they travel, and when did they arrive? Did they come all at once, or in several migrations over time?

FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY: How do you define "Clovis" and "pre-Clovis" cultures? What (and where) is the archaeological evidence for settlement prior to the Clovis culture? How are the finds dated, and are the dates reliable?

GEOARCHAEOLOGY: what is the geological evidence for routes taken into North and South America? Where (and when) was the "Ice-free corridor?" What are the other possible routes of migration? How long did it take people to move from the Bering bridge south into Chile?

BIOARCHAEOLOGY: What is the biological evidence (teeth, skeletal formation, DNA) for who the first Americans were? How does the controversy over Kennewick man tie into this discussion?

For all three debates, here are some additional questions to consider:

• Did the researchers have clear objectives for analytical testing?
• Are the methods chosen appropriate for the type of information sought?
• What are the limitations of each technique?
• Is it possible to reach a consensus on authenticity using the scientific and artistic evidence we have available? Why or why not?